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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25882885">Unbound - The Last of Us story</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justiniann/pseuds/Justiniann'>Justiniann</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Last of Us (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Dark, F/F, F/M, Horror, Humor, Love, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, Psychological Trauma, Thriller, Torture, Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:49:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,525</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25882885</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justiniann/pseuds/Justiniann</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Story about Benjamin Walker, a quiet boy, who leaves the comfort of his home to chase after vengeful Ellie in Seattle.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben/Ellie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello everyone, I hope you'll like this prologue. First of all, I wouldn’t say this is primarily a love story, because it isn’t. It’s a story about Benjamin Walker, 18 year old who’s thrown into a world of violence such as the one we’ve witnessed in The Last of Us Part 2. The story is mainly centered around his development as character, as he is changed from an innocent, fearful boy into the man that he becomes later on in the story. Love story between him and Ellie will be a second most important part of the story. And es, Ellie will be bisexual in this story, and I sincerely hope no one will mind it. Reason behind that decision is very simple. That way, her canon relationships are still valid while opening a window for new possibilities. Thank you, and I hope you will enjoy my story. Cheers. </p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Prologue</span>
</p><p> </p><p>Cold breeze whistled gently in the night of the full moon. It was partly hidden by dark clouds but it still provided with enough light. Ben traversed through the streets with hands shoved in pockets of his red winter jacket. His ears were freezing, and he cursed to himself for forgetting his hat back at his house. He was nearly at his destination, though, and too lazy to go back. Streets of the Jackson community or Jackson county settlement, depending on how one would call it, were enlightened by dozens of light bulbs used as décor on wooden beams of the houses. The settlement itself was only a small portion of what was once a city of Jackson. A celebration was hosted at the church, for reasons unknown to Ben. Emily was already there, having left about an hour ago. The celebration itself started two or three hours ago, with most people present there, clue for it being the empty streets. Only people Ben could spot outside were sentries at the towers, and even they frequently changed shifts to be able to attend a celebration. The church itself was built in the middle of the settlement, across the street to Cooper Peak Inn. It was a rectangular wooden building with a stone base. Ben walked up the stairs onto the porch and stopped in front of the door, taking a deep breath. A muffled sound of music and people could be heard outside even though the wind was stronger with every moment. He was never the one for gatherings such as this, but he didn’t mind attending one or two in a while. With his right, he twisted a door knob and pushed forward to walk inside.</p><p>Interior of the church revealed a merry atmosphere inside. People danced, sang songs, drank and had fun together. It was crowded, but they didn’t pay any attention to Ben who just walked in. Light bulbs were used as a décor inside as well as outside. They were hung on the cable which stretched along the walls and on the ceiling in various shapes. People enjoyed the fast music judging by everyone who danced, couples, parents and their children, friends and even some unofficial lovebirds here and there. Taking off his jacket, Ben placed it on the rack which was already packed with other jackets and walked through the middle of the dance floor, trying his best not to bump into anyone.  “Excuse me.” he said as he slowly progressed through the dance floor with a bit of difficulty. He earned some mean looks from people he managed to bump into, except for Dina. She just grinned at him when he bumped into her while she danced with Tyler. When he finally made it out of the dancing crowd, he looked around for any sign of his sister. But Emily was nowhere to be seen. Everyone was laughing and having a good time, except for one person at the bar. Ellie was leaned back on the wooden bar as she examined a dancing crowd with a glass of liquor in her hand, looking lost in her thoughts. He hadn’t seen her in a few days, though it seemed much longer than that. Light blue flannel shirt looked nice on her, rolled sleeves revealing a tattoo on her right forearm. Short brown hair was at the back of her head.</p><p>“Move it, move it.” bartender ordered angrily as he walked past Ben with a tray filled with drinks, prompting Ben to realize that he just stood there, staring. This caught her attention, and she snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him. He approached, looking around the bar for a drink without saying anything. Ellie was quiet too, making the situation quite awkward. Their eyes met for a single moment and Ben decided to break the ice.</p><p>“You think Andy would be mad if I took a drink while he’s not looking?” he made an attempt.</p><p>She smirked “You can try.”</p><p>Ben was trying to think of a response to that, something that would not make the situation more awkward. Something smart.</p><p>“Right.” He hated himself.</p><p>Deciding a drink wasn’t worthy of Andy’s wrath, Ben brushed it aside and turned towards the dancing crowd, leaning backwards on the bar in the same manner as Ellie. They just stood there in their own silence. Ben was never shy or awkward around people, but something about Ellie was off in that manner. She was not weird, he just didn’t know how to behave when he was around her.</p><p>“I hate these things.” Jesse said out of blue, approaching them from the side with his own drink. <em>Thank God for Jesse, </em>Ben thought when Jesse ended the silence.</p><p>“Tell me about it.” Ellie replied.</p><p>Jesse poked Ben with his elbow, catching his attention. “Heard you got three clickers on a patrol yesterday.”</p><p>A mention of the clickers awoke memories from the past day when Ben went on a patrol with Emily and Khan. “Yeah. Emily wanted to kill me because I engaged them without her. She was looking for supplies in the house across the street.”</p><p>Jesse laughed, and the topic grabbed Ellie’s attention as well. She remained quiet, listening. Jesse proceeded to tell something to Ellie about Joel and patrols which Ben didn’t bother to listen to. Andy walked past them holding a tray that still had several drinks on it<em>. </em>Using the opportunity, Ben quickly snatched one and took a sip of the strong beverage.</p><p>“I give you guys two weeks to get back together.” Ellie told Jesse. Ben hated that he was in the middle between them, having to listen to what they’re talking about.</p><p>“She uh.. say something to you?” Jesse asked, not hiding his surprise.</p><p>“Make it one week.” Ellie replied to which Jesse just shook his head. He broke up with Dina a few days ago. Ben knew enough to understand what they’re talking about.</p><p>“Speak of the devil..” Ben said absently as Dina approached the three of them, stopping in front of Ellie. “Hey! What took you so long?”</p><p>“Well, I am here, aren’t I?” Ellie answered shortly, having her drink stolen by Dina who drank it all at once.</p><p>“Hey, Ben.” Dina greeted him to which he replied with a smile. She seemed to completely ignore Jesse until he greeted her.</p><p>“Jesse.” was all she said, every trace of happiness and joy fading away from her face.</p><p>Ben could literally feel Jesse roll his eyes, and had to hold his hand over his mouth, trying not to laugh. Dina grabbed Ellie’s hand and pulled her away from the boys to the dance floor.</p><p> “Hey, don’t forget, we headin’ out early so get some rest!” Jesse ordered insecurely to the two of them and downed his drink as well. Ben smiled “What?” his friend asked, irritated.</p><p>“Ellie just took your ex girl right in front of you, dude.” Ben mocked him, obviously joking.</p><p>Jesse smirked “Nah, man. Dina took Ellie.”</p><p>“It’s the same, however you take it.”</p><p>Asian laughed “Too bad Ellie likes girls.”</p><p>Ben raised his eyebrow and looked at Jesse “You chasing after Ellie now?”</p><p>“I’m not talking about myself.” Jesse replied with a smug smile on his face, taking Ben by surprise. He just shook his head and blew it off “You’re reaching.”</p><p>“Am I?” Jesse added and smiled. “Shit.”</p><p>“What?” Reacting to Jesse’s <em>shit, </em>Ben noticed him staring at the dance floor to which he turned his own eyes Dina and Ellie dance or at least they used to dance. They began kissing. Two of them stood by the bar, dumbfound because of what happened right in front of their eyes.</p><p>“That..?” Jesse began, “..wow.”</p><p>Trying to hide the shock, Ben attempted to turn the conversation in his favor “You jelly?”</p><p>“What? No, dude.” Jesse lied, his face revealed everything “Dina and I.. what we had stays in the past.”</p><p>“Right.”</p><p>Jesse gave him a mean side-look. Ben laughed at that. His laugh was partly forced, though. Jesse was jealous, but so was he. And he hated himself for it. <em>Am I falling for Ellie? </em>he asked himself and shook his head while taking a sip of his drink, feeling the alcohol burn through his throat, setting it on fire.</p><p>“That’s cold, dude.” Ben commented, “You guys just broke up. Ouch.”</p><p>Jesse raised an eyebrow “Shut up. As I said, Di-“</p><p>“Dina and you are history. I know” Ben finished and smirked mockingly, provoking black haired young man. “So um, you’re going on patrol tomorrow?” he asked Jesse, trying to change the subject and take his mind off what he just saw. Jesse turned his back to the dancing crowd and put his glass down on the bar, obviously annoyed “Yeah. It’s gonna be a long day.”</p><p>Ben envied him, he longed for another patrol. Long days in the settlement can become quite boring. He’d often hang out with his friends, Jesse for the most part, and Dina. Since the two of them have broken up, they don’t hang out as much. His patrol partner was usually his sister Emily. He did share a route or two with Ellie in the past. They didn’t talk much, except when needed. The two of them used to hang around together a lot in the past when Ben first came to Jackson. Ellie was much more talkative then, she had good jokes to which Ben literally laughed his ass off. Their stories were similar, which was the reason they bonded quickly in the past. Yet, it didn’t matter much. They were not as good friends as before. The two of them were shaped by the events that befell them and they simply grew apart. Ben frowned to that and moved the glass towards his lips. “If Emily asks about me, tell her I went home.”</p><p>“You leavin’?” Jesse asked, surprised.</p><p>Ben nodded “Yeah, this is pain in the ass.”</p><p>“Is this because of Ellie?”</p><p>Rolling his eyes, Ben looked at Jesse and said “No, dude. It’s not because of Ellie.” It was because of Ellie. Why did he even like her? They didn’t speak like normal humans in months. “Later, man.”</p><p>“All right.” Jesse replied after a moment of hesisation, obviously disappointed, and two of them walked off in opposite directions. Ben headed towards the rack with jackets. The music was much slower now, it could be considered romantic even. He had to struggle going through the dance floor again, but it was easier this time. People were moving much slower, thus being much easier to avoid. Ellie and Dina didn’t notice him as he walked past them.</p><p>Ben didn’t realize how long he was sitting on the bench outside. It wasn’t as cold as it used to be, which was a relief. He was just sitting there on the bench at the edge of the settlement, looking at the dark sky decorated with clouds and a large ball of light right in the middle of it. It was nice and quiet, though the silence would be interrupted occasionally by people walking by. He enjoyed the silence as he allowed himself to be lost in his thoughts again. What was he thinking about? Nothing specific, he was just thinking, about nothing in particular and everything at the same time. Footsteps on the snow ended the silence, and he turned around to see what’s going on. Ellie stopped behind the bench.</p><p>“I thought there was no one here.” she said shortly. Why did Ben hear <em>I hoped I won’t see you here </em>instead?</p><p>Ben sighed and stood up “I was just leaving anyway.”</p><p>“You don’t have to, but uh.. okay, whatever.” she responded and took a seat on the bench, her hands shoved in her pockets as she stared in front of herself. Ben walked around it, towards the illuminated street.</p><p>“Why’d you leave so early?” she asked him out of sudden. Ben stopped, turning to face her. She was looking at him over her shoulder.</p><p>“It was not my cup of tea. What about you?”</p><p>Just now he realized this was the first time he was alone with her in like.. forever. A strange and unexpected situation. “Seth laid it onto Dina and me because she uh..”</p><p>“Kissed you.”</p><p>“Right.” she finished, looking away for a second. “He’s an asshole.</p><p>He didn’t like remembering it. After all, he left the party because of it. “What did Seth do?”</p><p>Ellie sighed “<em>This is a family event, </em>he said. He called Dina a loud-mouthed dyke.”</p><p>Ben widened his eyes. “What a dick.”</p><p>She agreed with Ben’s statement, judging by her facial expression. This was the most words they exchanged in a long time. “Joel pushed him, party was halted. Maria escorted him outside. I left too, couldn’t stand the looks.”</p><p>“Bummer. Too bad I left early.” he attempted a joke, an inappropriate one as usual. She smiled weakly. For a second, Ben could swear he saw a spark in her eyes.</p><p>“Good job on those clickers.” she said after a few moments of silence. Ben raised an eyebrow and decided to take a seat beside her. “Yeah, well, tell that to Emily.”</p><p>They laughed at that. Everyone knew his older sister was very overprotective. It was very, <em>very </em>annoying at times, but he didn’t blame her. Not after everything they went through to come here. Their father was bitten and died protecting them from the wave of the infected. He held the door for the three of them as they ran. Emily, Ben and their youngest brother Tom. He was just seven years old when they arrived at Jackson three years ago.</p><p>“Tom’s birthday was two days ago, right?” she asked him.</p><p>Her question took him off guard. “I didn’t know you’d remember. He would’ve been ten by now.”</p><p>Her eyes were sad when she looked at him. “Tom was the sweetest. Everyone loved him. Him and I used to play quite a lot, you know.”</p><p>“I know, I remember. He liked you a lot. He even told me he had this <em>huuuge </em>crush on you.” he explained to her, causing another sad smile.</p><p>“I miss him, he was like a mini version of yourself. Same blonde hair, blue eyes, shape of your face. Copy-paste.”</p><p>Ben sighed. “You spend a lot of time staring at my face, huh?”</p><p>She frowned. “Keep flattering yourself.” to which he laughed. He actually enjoyed this talk for a change. A thought crossed his mind that he should mention this in a way that’s not awkward or something, but he brushed the thought away, afraid he’d just ruin the moment.</p><p>They spent another few minutes speaking to each other. It was very weird for both of them to talk to each other. Last time they had a normal conversation was when.. last spring perhaps?</p><p>“Okay.” Ben readied himself “You’re gonna like this one.”</p><p>Ellie laughed, anticipating a joke.</p><p>“What do you call a dinosaur that crashes his car?”</p><p>She gave him a questionable look, smile never leaving his face.</p><p>“Tyrannosaurus Wrecks.”</p><p>Ellie burst into laughter, holding her belly with one while wiping a tear with the back of her other hand. She couldn’t help it since she has always found his stupid jokes hilarious. Ben joined her in laughter, memories of the past suddenly hitting him hard. When the laughters died down, she gave him a long look with her bright, green eyes. Ben found it hard to look away. For a second, everything felt as if it was going back to normal.</p><p>“It’s getting late. I should go.” she suddenly said, looking away, “Jesse would kill me if I overslept.” She finished and stood up. Ben looked down and nodded his head repeatedly, before looking up again to smile weakly, “Good night.”</p><p>‘’Night.” she responded silently and walked away, leaving him alone. He felt she wanted to say so many things to him. Hell, he knew he had many stories of his own to tell her, a thousand topics and discussions. Yet, who would’ve thought, he actually talked to her in a normal manner that was not awkward or terrible. Suddenly feeling hot in his cheeks, Ben allowed himself to smile, yet his happiness was shook by sadness he felt in his heart. Looking at the watch, Ben realized it was well past midnight, but he didn’t mind it. Staying there a while longer wouldn’t hurt anybody.</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 1 - Unbound</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span class="u">Chapter 1</span> – Left behind</p><p> </p><p>Ben lied on the sofa, staring at the ceiling with earbuds plugged in his ears. He’s saved a lot of songs on his walkman, which he always brings wherever he goes, listening to techno and synth-pop mostly, these two being his favorite genres. With his left, he threw a small red rubber ball in the air, catching it as it fell down only to throw it upwards again, repeating the process. He didn’t have many responsibilities that day, no patrols he was assigned to, only some housework that needed to be done. It was his turn to wash dishes and vacuum the house. The day was long and boring, he had even read all of his books. Next time he leaves on patrol, he’d make sure to visit that bookstore in a town across the river, not too far from the dam. The only problem was that the bookstore was hard to reach, its entrances have been since long overgrown with sturdy vegetation, Ben had to climb all the way to the roof to be able to enter. It’s a worthy mention that he almost slipped and broke his neck, which might be a reason he was avoiding that bookstore. He thought about continuing that story he was writing, but was completely out of ideas, unsure whether the main character – a bastard prince of the fallen kingdom – should become king or not. Having read so many books he couldn’t even count anymore, Ben realized he wasn’t a fan of clichés and happy endings. If he were ever to finish that story of his, it would certainly be a tragedy.</p><p>Fireplace was burning and warming the Walker household, making for a cozy atmosphere. Relaxing sound of crackling wood along with the warmth provided a cozy atmosphere inside. A ball of fur jumped on the sofa, startling him. Unplugging his earbuds, he looked down to see Khan curled up on his feet. His pet has grown big in the past few months since he found him in the forest. A small cub once, he grew big as a bigger adult dog. Khan’s white fur made him stand out from the rest of the wolves, making him easy to recognize even though he’d more often than not merge with the snow and become invisible to human eye. When Ben brought him back home, Emily went crazy, a thought which amused him, remembering how afraid she was at first.</p><p>“What are you doing, little bud?” Ben spoke to his furry friend who was not so little anymore and stroked his furry head. “I haven’t seen you today, must’ve gone hunting, yeah?”</p><p>Khan just tilted his head, staring at him with his piercing, questioning blue eyes. They were beautiful in a way, especially while glowing in the dark when reflecting the light, which most people found quite disturbing initially. At first, they didn’t like him, just like his sister. Though, they warmed up to him over time, and he became one of the favorites. He was quiet, he didn’t howl or bark much. He wasn’t clingy, didn’t bother small children or scare them away. Now a day cannot pass without Emily asking about him at least once. Ben often questioned himself if he gave him the right name. Was <em>Khan </em>the name adequate enough? Reason behind the name was a certain man that lived long time ago, who united the tribes in the land far away and proclaimed himself the Khan of those tribes, conquering half of the world. Ben read about him in a book.</p><p>“All right, bud. I gotta get up now, I’m starving.” he said while gently getting up to walk towards the kitchen. Khan barked at him when he opened a fridge to check what they got inside. “Last night? I was at this party and um.. “ he explained while snooping through the fridge, “..I got bored quick, so I left.”</p><p>There were some leftovers from the last night in the fridge, fried rabbit meat. He put some of it on a plate and sat on his chair at the table, digging in. Khan whimpered at him from the sofa, lying down, making himself comfortable.</p><p>“I even talked with Ellie for a few minutes, can you imagine it?” Ben continued, stabbing a piece of meat with his fork. “It was not terrible. You hungry?” He took a piece of meat from the fork and threw it in the air. Khan jumped off the sofa and caught the meat in midair, successfully landing on his paws. Ben laughed “Good catch, dude.” Khan was his favorite patrol partner. The two of them have killed many infected together. Khan was quiet as night, and his teeth were sharp. On top of that, he didn’t get infected if he tasted the infected blood. So far, the virus didn’t seem able to infect animals. Two of them were very much alike, two introverts that kept to each other. He was the best friend that Ben could ask for. The front door opened, letting the cold wind inside. Emily walked in, snow falling off her gray jacket and long blonde hair tied into a ponytail. She closed the door and hung her jacket on the wall.</p><p>“Where’s my boy?” she said kindly, kneeling down next to the Khan to play with him. “Good boy. What are you up to, Ben?”</p><p>Ben swallowed the bite and looked at her “I’ll finish eating and go back to my music.”</p><p>She sighed deeply, almost disappointed “Typical.”</p><p>‘’Will asked for you today. He came this morning.” he told her. Emily raised an eyebrow and took a seat at the table across Ben. “He asked you out yet?”</p><p>She frowned, stealing a bite from his plate, provoking an irritated stare “He actually did. Today after the hunt. Guess what this young lady caught today. Deer.”</p><p> “Wow, good for you. And wow, wimp actually did it.”</p><p> “Don’t call him that.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Ben.”</p><p>He rolled his eyes “What? You guys have been hanging around forever, it only took him so long to ask you out.”</p><p>“Look who’s talking! How long did it take for you to ask Ellie out? Oh wait..”</p><p>“Why would I ask Ellie out?” he tried to play it dumb, “You’re stupid.”</p><p>Emily laughed in his face “That’s probably why you stared at her like an idiot.”</p><p>“You saw me?” he asked, shocked, making a break from food, “Where were you?”</p><p>Emily stood up and looked at him, mockingly smirking “I was there the whole time, you just weren’t looking. The look on your face when Dina kissed her, it was priceless.”</p><p>Ben felt blood rushing to his cheeks. Emily laughed it off and walked upstairs. Khan howled quietly at him and covered his eyes with his paws when Ben looked at him, “You’re supposed to be my partner, dude. Don’t stab me in the back like that, jeez.”  He rolled his eyes and decided to go out. Some fresh air would do him good. He hasn’t been in a good mood since last night. There was this ghastly feeling in his stomach he couldn’t get rid of. Grabbing his jacket to protect him from the cold, he walked outside through the front door. Khan followed right behind. Wolf usually never left his side, except when he’d go out to hunt. Gate sentries would recognize that and always let him out and back in when he’d return. Cold winter air was pleasant and refreshing. Ben has always considered winter his favorite season. Not only because he was born during winter, but also because of its specific, cold comfort. His favorite patrols were during the winter days, especially the routes that led into the mountains covered with a white blanket. Screeching winds occasionally rose up. When they died, a tomb-like silence haunted the land. A group of kids played in the snow, their eyes caught fire and turned an icy-blue where scarfs couldn’t reach. They were shooting snowballs at each other, slipping and falling, laughing when Ben made it to the main gate of the settlement, surrounded by two watchtowers that rose above it on both sides. He pitied the sentries that had to freeze on the towers, especially during a snowstorm earlier that day.. Those who could handle guns were divided in two groups, sentries and rangers basically. Sentries were tasked with guarding the main gate and the perimeter, always on the lookout. They were deployed on the towers along the entire wall. Not a single person could approach the settlement without them noticing. Rangers, on the other hand, were tasked with patrolling the area surrounding the settlement, scouting for any potential threat, be it human or infected. Ben couldn’t remember the last time there was trouble with the hunters or bandits. Last two years were relatively peaceful for the community except for a few clean-outs such as the warehouse clean-out last summer, that was swarming with the infected.</p><p>“Open the gate!” Ben heard a sentry shouting atop the wooden tower. Tall, wide, double-winged wooden gate began opening slowly, leaving a mark in the snow. Splitting in the middle, gate revealed rangers entering the settlement, passing under the wooden structure. Tommy rode first, his blonde hair tied in a ponytail, one side of his face covered in dried blood. He seemed older for some reason, wrinkles on his face more pronounced. His beard was always clean shaven, a reason why he looked younger than he actually was, especially when compared to his older brother Joel who kept a full beard. Tommy looked straight ahead, his face blank and emotionless. Dina followed close behind, noticing Ben who stood just a few steps away. Memories of the last night swarmed Ben’s mind when he saw Ellie pass through the now widely opened wooden gate. Intending to greet her, he stopped halfway when he saw her face. Blood painted her freckled face and once bright, green eyes were shrouded in darkness as she kept her head low, riding past Ben without acknowledging his presence. Disturbed, Ben turned his eyes to the last rider entering the settlement. Jesse led another horse by its reins. Four riders, five horses.</p><p>
  <em>Something happened.</em>
</p><p>“Jesse.” said Ben silently, approaching his friend, “What happened?”</p><p>Jesse’s face revealed sadness when he looked at Ben. Leaning over Jesse’s horse, Ben saw a body placed over the saddle. His eyes widened when he saw the side of the skull forcefully opened, revealing red, bloody inside of the head of the man he knew very well.</p><p>“Joel’s dead.” Jesse revealed – his voice dark and low – and rode off with the others.</p><p>
  <em>x</em>
</p><p>Two days have passed since then. The funeral took place the day after it happened. A tombstone with <em>Joel Miller </em>carved on it was placed along with many others in the graveyard. William, Emily’s sweetheart, carved the tombstone himself. It was a sad day for everyone in the community, Joel was a well-respected man. He was a father-figure to Ellie. Ben knew what’s it like, to lose someone so close to you, the pain was indescribable. You lose one, big part of yourself. He wanted to visit her, to speak to her but couldn’t find the courage to do it. Why not? Perhaps of the timing, he didn’t know exactly. He sat on his porch, reflecting on what’s happened. Joel was killed by another group, that’s all he knew. Maria addressed the whole settlement yesterday, telling everyone they have nothing to worry about, the people who killed Joel were not a threat to the community. Even if that was true, they still had to be careful, especially when on patrols. He didn’t know enough about it, since he saw neither Jesse or Dina since that scene at the main gate. Yet, a certain thought was bugging him since the funeral. Ellie was always rash and temperamental. <em>She is not a forgiving type. </em>She would go after the killers.</p><p>“Come, Khan.” he said confidently as he stood up. Wolf followed him close behind. They made a steady progress towards Ellie’s house. Along the way, he thought about what he could say to her, that he was sorry for her loss? That she should wait and think about what to do next? <em>That’s now what you want to hear right now, Ellie. </em>Knowing her, she probably made the decision already, but with enough time and carefully chosen sentences, Ben might be able to convince her otherwise. That’s what he’d do at least. It was a cowardly move perhaps, but Ben was never of the bravest sort.</p><p>Ellie’s house was at the end of one of the streets in the settlement. It was a single story structure that resembled a shack on the outside. Ben took a deep breath and approached the front door and knocked on it, twice. Few moments have passed, but no one answered. He tried again, yet there was no answer. Perhaps she wants to be alone right now, Ben didn’t know.</p><p>“She’s not there.” Ben turned around to see Jesse leaning on the fence with his arms crossed , “She left yesterday in the morning. Dina’s with her.”</p><p>“Left where?” Ben asked, slowly approaching Jesse. Khan was right there behind him, following in his steps constantly. He waited for Jesse’s response but he already knew the answer to his question.</p><p>“Seattle, I think. Tommy went first. Maria lost it when she learned. She even allowed Ellie and Dina to chase after him.”</p><p>“Fuck! What was she thinking?”</p><p>“I can’t blame her, she loves her husband.”</p><p>Ben looked around himself as if the answer to this riddle was somewhere around him. Khan gave him a confused look, asking for answers. Jesse eyed him suspiciously. Imagining Ellie with her face down, lying dead somewhere in pool of her own blood was enough. His choice clear.</p><p>“I have to go after her, Jesse.” Ben revealed, his face was stern and determined. Expecting a protest from Jesse, Ben almost exclaimed when the latter nodded his head “Agreed. We’ll have to sneak out, tho’.”</p><p>“Good. I’m going home now, grab some gear um.. weapons and food. We should sneak out at night, when sentries aren’t looking. What about horses?” Ben explained, suddenly sweating, feeling the adrenaline rush through his veins. <em>Damn it.</em></p><p>“Not a chance, they’re too well guarded.”</p><p>“Okay okay.. I’ll be at your house an hour before midnight, okay?”</p><p>“Okay.” Jesse replied, and two of them went their separate ways. Ben took his time to walk back to his house, thinking about it all the time. Emily won’t be happy about his decision, but he can’t risk telling her. He will write a note to her, explaining everything. Khan followed behind him, whimpering and howling at him for being so secretive. The wolf felt it. He was thinking of leaving him here in the settlement, but the truth was that Khan would be more useful to Jesse and him than to Emily. He’ll just need to grab something from Ellie’s house so Khan could catch her scent. Emily was not home when he made it back. Immediately, he proceeded towards his room to pack his stuff. It was already 7 pm when he started packing, and Emily was not yet home. She was out with Will, and Ben couldn’t be more grateful for that. Hopefully she stays ‘till late.</p><p>He sat on his bed when he packed everything in his backpack, his pistol, a hunting knife, a gas mask, some cans of food, a waterskin, a compass, a spare shirt and a bedroll which he tied to the bottom of the backpack. He didn’t forget his walkman. Ben never goes anywhere without it. He made sure to pack in some spare batteries. He even thought about putting in a book or two, then realized it would be just a waste of time. <em>I have to find her, I have to find her, I have to find her, </em>he kept repeating to himself. Ellie was his first friend in Jackson. She helped him when he went through the pain of losing his brother. When Tom died because of Ben’s recklessness, she was there to console him while Emily was going through her own mental breakdown. Emily didn’t speak to Ben for days after it happened. She still blames him till this day. Even he still blamed himself for it. Ben looked at his left fist, it was shaking. He was afraid, but he had no other choice. All he had to do was to make sure Ellie comes home safe. <em> Jesse probably finds this as hard as I do,</em> he thought remembering that Dina left as well. <em>This is all so fucked up. </em></p><p>Time passed rather quickly. It was 11 pm before Ben even realized it. Emily was not home yet, which meant her date with Will was successful, and she was stay late for certain. He was happy for her, even though he didn’t show it. After all, he mocked her ass off because she was his sister. A note for Emily was left in her room. While writing it, Ben briefly thought about abandoning this mission and staying in Jackson instead, but his mind was already set.</p><p>Donning his gray hoodie over his head, followed by backpack which he hung on his right shoulder, Ben approached the window in his room and looked through it, at the moon which hung high on the sky for a moment before being hidden by clouds, and took a machete that rested on the wall and sheathed it in a leather scabbard he created himself which was tied to his backpack in a manner it made it easy to unsheathe in dire situations. While sitting on the stairs to tie his shoelaces, Khan approached him and sat in front of him, tilting his head as he gazed at him from down below.</p><p>“What’s up, bud?” Ben asked, reaching out with his hand to stroke the wolf’s head “You ready? This is going to be a long and tough journey.”</p><p>Wolf stuck out his tongue happily as an answer, and Ben grinned, “Good. I’m ready too.” Making sure all lights were off, and that the fireplace was burning steadily, Ben double checked everything in his backpack and two companions walked through the front door to the outside, into the world covered by a white snowy blanket. First, he looked around himself to check if anyone was looking his way. When he made sure there was no one outside in this part of the settlement, Ben moved slowly and quietly towards Ellie’s house, going through the backyards to avoid being discovered by anyone who wandered in the hour of the wolf. It didn’t take long for him to make it to Ellie’s house, since the settlement wasn’t very widespread. When they arrived, he cursed when he realized the door was locked. <em>What did you expect, idiot?, </em>he berated himself thinking about what he could do to get inside. He took a stroll around the small shack to see if there was any other way in, but to no avail.</p><p>“What?” Ben asked the wolf, who gave him a smug look as if he was mocking him in a way. “You know what? Screw it.” he said, more impatient by the second feeling he’s wasting his time. Turning his head around to check if anyone was there, Ben sighed, closing his eyes. When he opened them, he lunged forward and kicked the door as hard as he could. Splinters flew down on the floor when the wooden door opened and made a whole semicircle in motion. The cracking noise wasn’t as loud as Ben thought it would be. He was lucky the cold wind still whistled in the settlement, especially between the houses. <em>Sorry Ellie</em>, he thought and stepped over a threshold to the interior of the small house, stopping right there. His eyes examined everything inside. <em>I haven’t been here in years, </em>realization crossed his mind as he walked around the room. Everything was basically a single room, kitchen, living room, and bedroom all together. Bathroom on the other side was separated from the rest. It was much smaller than his house but cute in a way. <em>And it was much easier to clean, </em>that notion made him envious<em>.</em> Behind the sofa, there was a wide white door that stretched along the whole length of the wall, and Ben realized that this was actually a garage that was turned into a living space. He could never tell from the outside. Without lingering, he walked towards her bed. It was neatly made, there were no clues she left in a hurry.</p><p>On the opposite side of the bed was a tv cabinet or a wardrobe, Ben couldn’t tell. It contained both Ellie’s clothes and a flatscreen. Below the flatscreen was a Playstation 3 two of them used to play. A memory brought a smile on his face. Whenever they played basketball on the Playstation, he would destroy her, which enraged her. It was so funny because it happened all the time, yet Ellie never gave up, she was stubborn just like that. Both of them preferred horror games, even though their lives were a true horror in some messed up kind of way. Ben pulled one drawer filled with Ellie’s clothes. Widening his eyes, he realized he opened a drawer with the underwear. <em>You fucking idiot, </em>he thought and closed the drawer as quickly as he could, blushing as if someone had seen him doing it. Well, Khan did.</p><p>“Not a word about this.” he ordered to which Khan replied with a slight tilt of his head. He’d always do that. <em>Smug wolf</em>. In the end, he decided to take one of her tank tops from the laundry basket, reason for it being because clothes in there weren’t washed and probably still retained Ellie’s scent. “I think we found what we were looking for, bud. Let’s go find Jesse.”</p><p>As he walked out, a couple walked right by. Standing in front of the broken door, Ben stood as still as he could, hoping that the shadow was cover good enough. His heart skipped a beat when he recognized Emily, holding hands with Will as they walked slowly. <em>I guess it’s official now. </em>They were talking and laughing, like a true couple. He rolled his eyes, hoping that they’d move faster and go away. They didn’t see him, obviously preoccupied with each other. As agreed, Jesse and Ben met up behind Jesse’s house. Jesse had two of his dad’s rifles, one for himself and one for Ben. He wore only a brown leather jacket over a black shirt and a pair of jeans. And he brought a ladder.</p><p>“Believe it or not, my folks were actually encouraging me to go after Dina and Ellie.” Jesse said “What about Emily?”</p><p>Ben frowned “I wrote her a note. She’d never let me go.”</p><p>“As expected. We will use it to climb over the wall.” Jesse explained pointing at the wooden ladder he carried under his arm. “We’ll have to jump from the top, though.”</p><p>Ben nodded his head. “Not a problem. I know the spot where snow is pretty deep. We can jump there.”</p><p>“Perfect. Let’s g- wait, what about Khan? He can’t climb.”</p><p>Ben grinned, he expected this question, “He’ll walk straight out of the main gate. Sentries always let him out when he wants to hunt.”</p><p>Jesse gave an impressed look at the white wolf “You sly dog.” Wolf looked back at him with his tongue out, quiet as night. In the dark, it looked as if the wolf was smiling.</p><p>“Let’s make this clear.” Jesse started, stopping Ben who began walking, “Are you sure you want to do this?”</p><p>“Why do you even ask me? You know I want.” he replied, feeling a bit offended by the question. Ben was aware that he wasn’t the best sharpshooter. In fact, he was just a decent one. Among the kids he grew up with, he was never the strongest or the bravest.  He lost many more fights than he won, yet his eyes were set on his goal. The three of them walked all around to the other side of the settlement, to the west of the main gate. There was a route that people on patrols would usually use when going in that direction, thus in winter, they cleaned the snow in that area, shoveling everything on a big pile that was leaning on the wall. It was a perfect spot for the jump. Jesse placed the ladder on the tall wooden wall, which was over twenty feet tall, and made sure it stood firm and steady.</p><p>“I’ll go first.” Ben said and started climbing. Turning his head around, he noticed Khan was still looking at him. “Go outside, Khan. Go hunt.” The wolf stood his ground as if he was frozen. Rolling his eyes, Ben continued climbing. Jesse gave him a confused look, opening his mouth to say something.</p><p>“He’ll go when I jump.” Ben answered before Jesse got a chance to ask.</p><p>The wooden wall was built from tall logs cut down specifically for this. They were wide enough for Ben to be able to stand on them with the whole length of his feet. He had to kneel down to be able to retain the balance because of the wind which threatened to throw him off the wall. He looked down, measuring where he should jump. A set of voices caught his attention, and he turned his head over the right shoulder to see the lights turning on in the house behind them. Jesse gave him a stern look from below, a look which told him to hurry up. He looked down the wall once again to make sure he jumps in a correct spot. The wrong jump could result in a broken leg or even worse, a broken neck. He took a deep sigh, feeling the cold sneaking inside his throat and jumped with straight legs on the big white pile below him. Gravity pulled him down in the snow all the way to his waist. It took him a few seconds to recover from the fall, and he began shoveling his way out. It felt good to stand on solid ground again when Jesse jumped behind him, landing with a dull thud. Helping his friend out of the snow, Ben asked “Did they see you?”</p><p>Jesse shook his head “No.  They could’ve if they turned their heads my way. They didn’t.”</p><p>“Good. What about Khan?” Ben asked.</p><p>Jesse was still breathing heavily, recovering from the fall when he answered “Your wolf’s heading towards the gate the moment you jumped. He’s a smart one.”</p><p>“Wait till he grows bigger.” Ben said and grinned. The wall was to their right as they moved in the shadows beneath, right under the sentry towers to avoid being spotted. Because settlement turned out to be relatively safe, the sentries would often slack off or even fall asleep. Ben hated them for it, but not tonight. Main gate opened to let Khan out, who ran outside to the freedom of the open world. The main gate guards fell for it, and Ben felt relief. They followed the wolf to the woods, careful enough to avoid any curious eyes, where they caught up with him.</p><p>“Good boy.” Ben said when he kneeled to stroke his head. He pulled Ellie’s tank top from his backpack and put it under Khan’s snout. Wolf sniffed it thoroughly and started searching the area for a scent. Ben and Jesse followed his tracks, hoping he’d find something soon.</p><p>“So.. Seattle?” Ben asked as the two kept up with the wolf.</p><p>Jesse nodded, “Yep. Ever been there?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Me neither.”</p><p>The plan was to track the girls down and catch up with them before they reach Seattle. The chances were small, though. Ellie and Dina had a horse, Ben and Jesse didn’t.</p><p>“Tommy left a note behind, for Maria, before he left.” Jesse explained, smiling as he did, “I don’t want to be in his shoes when he returns.”</p><p>Ben grinned, “That reminds me of someone.”</p><p>He wasn’t happy for not saying goodbye to his sister, but he had to do it. A realization of everything struck him like a truck at full speed. His heart was pumping like crazy, threatening to break through his chest. Fear creeped inside of him. There was no going back now.</p><p>“Remember.” Jesse said, “Find Ellie and Dina. Find Tommy. Bring them home. That’s what we’re doing.”</p><p>Ben nodded his head, his eyes fixed on the darkness in front of him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
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